Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is a young Olympic gymnast. She is brave and courageous. She won gold and silver medals at the 2008 Olympics. She is a hero to me because she inspires others to become gymnasts and to follow their dreams. Shawn shows kids to believe in what they want and to reach for the stars by trying and doing their best.

Shawn was born on January 19, 1992 in Des Moines, Iowa. As a young child, her parents always found her climbing on the jungle gym, wrestling with her cousins, and doing any activity that involved being active. Shawn began gymnastics at the age of six at Chow and Li of Chow's Gymnastics and Dance. She started competing a year later when she was seven years old. She worked super hard and loved the sport. Shawn made the US National Team and proved to everyone that she was going to be a star. She made many competitions and qualified for the US Olympic Team in 2008.

There are many events in Shawn's life that set her apart from other famous gymnasts. In 2007, she was a beginner gymnast and had one of the best seasons ever. Shawn won the “all-around” at many competitions such as the American Cup, the US National Championships, and the World Championships. During that year, she also won the “all-around” at the Pan-American Championships. At the 2008 Olympic games, Shawn helped her team win a silver medal. At these same games, Shawn won a gold medal for her performance on the beam and a silver medal in the “all-around” finals. Also in 2008, Shawn won the AAU Sullivan Award which is an award that recognizes an amateur athlete in the United States. Shawn has proved to everyone that she is a fantastic gymnast.

Shawn Johnson inspires me to believe in myself and trust that I can do whatever I set my mind to do. When she hurt her knee in a skiing accident, Shawn did not stop doing what she loved. Instead, she let her knee recover, kept working on her routines, and is now training for the next winter Olympics in 2012. Just like Shawn, I got hurt, only I was doing gymnastics. I broke my wrist last year while learning to do a back handspring. I have been working hard on my back handspring and recently achieved this goal. Shawn has inspired me to work harder, and she has taught me to never give up.

A hero is a person who sets an example for others, inspires them to follow their dreams, and encourages people to do their best. Shawn Johnson is my hero. She is brave and courageous. She is a young woman who proved to the world that she could become an Olympic winning gymnast. She is not perfect. When she falls or makes a mistake during one of her competitions, she doesn’t stay down. She gets back up and works harder. Shawn Johnson has shown people around the world that if you set your mind to something, it can happen.